Route – Auriol – Trets – Saint-Zacharie – Plan d’Aups

There are plenty of car parks near the Espace Tourisme et Découverte, alongside the D95.

(S/E) With your back to the Espace Tourisme et Découverte, head right towards Plan d’Aups via the D80, and continue until you reach the junction with the D480.

(1) Continue straight on towards Plan-d’Aups-Ste-Baume. Enter the village following the D80 and you’ll come to a large junction at a tree-lined square in front of the Town Hall.

(2) Turn left onto Boulevard de la Bayounette (D80) and follow this road until you reach the junction with the D2.

(3) Ignore the road branching off to the left towards Géménos and carry on straight ahead onto the^D45A, towards Auriol. Follow this road, which is all downhill, until you reach a roundabout at the entrance to Auriol.

(4) Pass Auriol on your left and take the^D45A straight ahead, towards La Bardeline. Stay on this departmental road and then follow the signs for La Bouilladisse, taking care as the road is quite narrow. Continue until you reach the junction with the^D45E on your right.

(5) Ignore the sign for Bouilladisse and turn right onto the^D45E, towards Le Pigeonnier. Pass through the village and continue to the junction with the D908.

(6) Turn right onto the D908, following signs for Peynier. Enter the village and continue to the roundabout.

(7) Continue straight on along the D908 towards Trets. Enter the village and carry on straight ahead until you reach Place Nelson Mandela and the Tourist Office.

(8) Turn left (Avenue Mirabeau) then, after the square, turn right onto Rue de Crémieux. At the end, turn left onto Rue du^1erMai and head towards the church at Place des Héros et Martyrs de la Résistance.

(9) Walk round the church on the left, then head straight on to the foot of the bell tower (Rue Lamennais). At the end, turn right and, at the three-way junction that follows, turn right again onto Boulevard Vauban. At the next junction, turn left onto Allée des Pins and walk uphill until you reach a side street opposite No. 149.

(10) Turn right (Avenue de Saint-Zacharie) and, at the roundabout, carry on straight ahead onto the D12, towards Saint-Zacharie. Ride past the cemetery on your left and leave the village. Follow this departmental road, climbing up to the Pas de la Couelle.

(11) Enter the Var department and head down the D85 to reach Saint-Zacharie Town Hall.

(12) Carry on almost straight ahead along Rue Voltaire, ignoring Rue Jean Jaurès, which runs parallel to your right. Carry on straight ahead until you reach Place du 4 Septembre.

(13) Turn left (D480). Follow this departmental road and, after the steepest climb of the walk, you’ll reach the D80, a route you’ve already taken.

(1) Turn left and, following the route in reverse, head back to the car parks at the Espace Tourisme et Découverte (S/E).

(8) You can avoid the town centre by turning right onto Avenue Vauban.

The^D45A towards Peynier is quite narrow, and local drivers do not drive slowly.

Some sections of the climb up the D480 are quite steep, although the average gradient is 5 per cent.

Journey time: approximately 3 hours 30 minutes.

Hiking to Saint-Pilon Monastery.
Hiking to the source of the Huveaune.
Visit Trets.